Match-box holder.



E. B. KING.

MATCH BOX HOLDER.

APPLlcMloN mw `APR. 1. 1916.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

WHITE@ @TAVFE PATENT @FFME EIDWARD B. KING, 0F IRVINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

MATCH-BOX HOLDER.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. KING, a citizen of the United' States, and a resident of Irvington, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented c'ertain new and useful Improvements in Match-Box Holders, of which the following is a speciication.

rIhis invention relates to aY holder for match boxes and like receptacles, being adapted to hold a match box so that matches can be taken from the box, since the box is held in the holder in a partly open position and is also held so that the striking surface on the casing can beused to ignite, as the casing is held rather stiiiy against side movement.

The invention relates to a match box holder of this kind in .which the box is insertible sidewise or. transversely and the casing is then slid down over an anvil on the support part of the box holder, the sliding ofthe casing from the tray-uncovering the tray and thus partly opening the box to makethe matchesaccessible. The sliding of the 'casing also acts to lock the box in the holder, and there is no chance of the match box being shaken fromthe holder, as might be the case when the match box holder is fastened to a door or other parts of furniture which are subjected to sudden starting or stopping as, for instance, in the slamming of a door. v

The invention is further designed to provide a match box holder of this kind in which the holder can besecured to a Vwall or the like through a wall plate, such wall plate acting to support the anvil of the device, the anvil being disposed so, that whenl the match box is in place it conceals the fastening means, and the whole `structure takes up but very little spacein excessV of that occupied by a partly opened match box.

The match box holder is one in which the match box can be easily inserted when the match box is shut, and in which the match box is securely held in place when it is partly opened and one in which it is only necessary to close the box, that is,`to slide the casing so that it covers the tray, to remove the box from the holder.

The match box holder can be made in different forms and of diiferent material, but a good embodiment of the invention consists in a sheet metal structure that is bent up from one piece and that has enough Specification of Letters Patent. Pgttmtd Fgb, 2U, 191% Application led April 2, 1916.

Serial No. 89,669.

spring action to make the parts tightly bind together whenl the match box isvinserted in the holder, such formbeing the form shown in the drawing accompanying this specification as illustrative of one typeof the invention. i

In the drawing accompanying this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holder with a match box in place therein. Fig. 2 is a vertical section centrally through Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the type of holder shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the match box being removed therefrom. Fig. L is a front view of a modified form of construction.

The match boxes with which this invention is adapted to be used are of the type that contain safety matches, the box consisting of a traylO which acts as a receiver for the matches and `has an open top, the tray being adapted to be telescopically arranged in a casing 11 which is tubular to receive the tray and which has one or both side faces, as 12, provided with a roughened ignition surface so that when the heads 13 of the matches 14 are rubbed on the side of the box they are lighted. The match box holder consists of va support which receives the match box when it is in its closed position, abutments on the holder being adapted to receive the ends of the match box, one of the abutments being recessed so that the casing can be slidvto a limited extent so as to partly uncover the tray, open the match box and lock the match box in the holder. One form of such holder comprises a back plate 15 which can be called a wall plate and which is suitably secured to a wall or any other element to which the device is to be secured, the form shown having holes 1G through which thumb-'tacks or small nails Vcan be driven so as to hold the wall plate 15 in position. An abutment 17 is arranged at the top of the wall plate, although this abutment at the top is not absolutely essentia-l but is desirable in many instances as it assists in locking the match box in place. A lower abutment is provided on the holder, in the form shown this lower abutment being in the form of an anvil 18 which is bent up from the bottom of the wall plate 15, forming a rear wall 19 and a front wall 20, the anvil being thus substantially archshaped and providing, between the lower part of the wall plate 15 and the rear wall of the anvil 18, a recess 21 more clearly provides a narrow opening between -the anvil and the Wall plate so as to grip the casingwhen it is slid to its open position, and when the holder is made of spring metal the spring of the metal assists in gripping or clamping the Wall of the casing and fric.

tionally holds it in its proper position, but not tight enoughl to resist its manipulation When it isdesired .toremove the match box from the holder. I also prefer to have the Walls 19 and 20 spaced apart suiliciently to slightly compress these Walls toward each other When the casing 11 is slid down so that these Walls of the anvil press against the front and back of the casing 11 and assist in stiening the casing and to hold it more firmly in position. I prefer to make the .anvil 18 ot approximately the same Width as the inside of the casing of the match box so as to hold the match box against side motion When a match is rubbed against the side of the box to light the match, and such locking or holding ot the match box against tilting is further insured When the holder is equipped with the ktop abutment 17. It Vwill be evident that the top abutment 17 and the anvil 18 are separated by a distance equal to substantially the length of the tray of the match box which is usually the length of the boxitseli' when itis in closedv position, andV when the Ymatch box is to be removed from the holder it is rst necessary to push the casing 11 upward until it incloses the tray 10 and then thecasing and tray can be V'removed together from between the abutments lVhen the abutment 17 is used the match box can be easily slid'to its closed a position, since the abutment resists anyfup- Ward movement of the tray of the match box. With the iastening means, such as the holes 16 through which tacks can bc driven, positioned in the wall plate, they are covered when a match box is in place and very little ofmthe holder is in view and a casual observer sees no more than the match box, especially when theA holder is made of approximately the same outline as the match box When partly open. To limit the sliding of the casing to an open position the juncture 22 ot the rear Wall 19 of the anvil and the Wall plate 15 provides a suitable stop, as will be evident.

In Fig. 1 I illustrate a modified form ot construction in Which the Wall plate 15 is fastened into position by means ot' prongs 23 which are formed by striking up metal ot suitable shape, the form illustrated showing prongs that are struck up to form openings 24 and being substantially the same shape of said openings. The prongs 23 When so struck up from the back plate avoid the necessity of any additional or outside fastening means. This view also shows'prongs 25 Which can be arranged on the outer edge of the top abutment 17 to more irmly secure the tray of the box on the anvil and to hold it more firmly against tilting, this construction being particularly adapted to larger sizes of boxes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A match box holder comprising a sheet of metal formed into a Wall plate With a smooth front tace, the plate being bent at the top to 'form an abutment, the Wall plate being formed at the bottom into an arched anvil, said arched part having its front and rear Walls smooth, the rear Wall lying close to the plate to grip the Wall of a match box casing, the front Wall being smooth and adapted to be pressed toward the rear wall When a match box is in place.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I hereto set my hand, this 24th day of March,

EDWARD B. KING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

